Speaking from Experience: This year's display

WELCOME!

It is hard to believe that it was almost ten years ago I witnessed a CNC router in action for the very first time. I was fascinated and simply had to have one! Although I had been in the creative end of the three dimensional sign business for most of my life I didn't really know what I would do with one of these machines - but I just knew it could do fantastic stuff.

Along with the CNC router I discovered the wonderful material called Precision Board and the glues, primers and other companion products they offer. Since then we have gone through many tons of the material using it in most signs and projects we tackle. This journal will chronicle our many adventures both past, present and future. I'll talk from the perspective of someone who pushes these products to the creative limit on a daily basis. I'll be adding to the stories two or three times each week. -dan

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

This year's display

We were delighted with the display booth we put together for last year's showing at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions EXPO in Orlando, Florida. The booth was good enough to garner a first place Brass Ring Award in it's size class. The experience of displaying at the massive show for the first time taught us many things. Our idea to ship a complete display piece with all of the show pieces attached was a brilliant move. We were able to set up in mere minutes. Take down at the end of the show was just as fast.

The display garnered a whole lot of positive attention during the show but in retrospect the display was a bit cluttered and busy. We learned that people are overwhelmed at a show of this type and scale with wall to wall eye candy everywhere they went. We needed to get our message across simply and in a hurry. We had many fine dimensional signs on display but these signs confused some people. We made a note to have no words in our next display except our concise message.

We needed to answer only two questions. 'Who are we?' 'What do we do?'

This year's display will be twenty feet wide instead of ten feet. Rather than scrap last year's effort we would rebuild in a simpler fashion. The booth will effectively be divided into three areas. The left hand side will be 'our design studio'. It will be labeled DESIGN in bold letters. The desk area will be smaller than last year's effort. I'll be sitting here drawing up some digital drawing concepts during show hours with a TV screen behind me showcasing my drawings. Pinned on the wall behind me will be concept drawings of various past projects.

The center area will be our 'fabrication shop'. We'll have a single large piece 'in progress' in the center. On the back wall in large dimensional letters will be 'IMAGINATION CORPORATION'. We will have some 'tools' handy in the display. The purpose of this area is to show our name boldly and that we build what we design. We will dress in 'work clothes' to further tell our story.

On the right side of the display will be an area with some concept study models. Above, on the back wing wall in bold letters will be the word 'BUILD'.

Today we began work on the new booth, first gutting last years display and then beginning the new fabrication. As with last year's display the structural elements are all heavy duty plasma cut and welded steel.